Mail-container.



J. P. SANDER.

MAIL CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. 19:4.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Smuzwlioz JJSe P5ander' (litmus COLUMBIA PIANOGRAPH J. P. SANDER.

' MAIL CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. I914.

1,151,2?. Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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llblliTFil @TATQEd il FFllCFb JDSEPH P. SANDER, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTOH, ASSIGIIOR T8 SPOKANE MAIL EQUIP- MENT'COMPANY, OF SPOKANE, VI'ASHINGTOIJ.

MArL-oonrnmnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

Application filed September 2, 1914. Serial No. 858,864.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrn P. SANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of l Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Containers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail bags, and has to do more particularly with an improved container, which is adapted to receive a number of mail bags or parcel post articles, the invention not being intended primarilyto contain loose individual and small articles, such as letters.

Gne of the objects of the invention, in addition to the foregoing, is to provide a mail bag container equipped with transfer lines extending from the top and bottom thereof so that the bag or container can be transferred by mail catching mechanism from a car to a station, or vice versa.

A further object is to provide a mail container, which is strong in construction and light in weight, and which is almost entirely flexible so as to render the same capable of being handled by mail catching or transferring mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to s ivel the container in supporting relation on the upper transfer line and to also yieldingly mount the container thereon, for purposes which will hereinafter more fully appear. c

Other objects and features of the invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and which will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

1n the dra *ingsz Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of my improved mail container. Fig. 2 is a view thereof with the outer cover or casing omitted. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure sho vn in Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

As illustrated, my invention includes a skeleton frame structure comprising upper and lower hoops l and 2, which will preferably be made of steel, and which need not be entirely rigid although they will be formed sufficiently rigid to normally maintain their form. Furthermore, I do not deem it absolutely essential that they should be circular in form, although I prefer this type. The hoops 1 are connected by flexible inextensible supporting lines which may be in the form of chains 8, the upper ends thereof being connected to the upper frame member or hoop l and the lower ends thereof being connected to the lower frame member or hoop 2, in any desirable manner. The frame structure also includes flexible cover attaching members, which may be in the form of flexible fabric web strips 4. Said strips are shown secured to the upper and lower frame members by having their ends looped over said members and being secured by means such as rivets 5.

To the upper frame member 1, I attach transfer supporting lines 6, the free ends of which are secured to a hanger member, which may be in the form of a disk '7. A hanger bolt 8 is slidably and rotatively disposed in the hanger member 7 so as to form a swivel juncture therewith. The bolt 8 is orovided *ith a spring abutment which may comprise a washer 9 and a nut 10, and interposed between the abutment and said hanger disk '7, is an expansively acting spring 11, which serves to neutralize jars and jolts to which a loaded container may be subjected thereby greatly relieving the strain thereon. Furthermore, the swivel supporting connection permits of the whirling motion which is imparted to a transfer container in the operation of transferring the same from a running car to a station, or vice versa. The upper end of the bolt 8 is provided with an eye 12 and a supporting transfer line, in the form of a chain 13, has its lower end connected with said eye. The upper end of said chainis provided with a ball device 14, for connection with the mail catching apparatus. At the lower end of said structure,

I provide a depending transfer line or chain 15, having a suitable head structure 16 for cotiperation with the mail catching apparatus. The depending transfer line 15 is connected with a lower transfer member or disk 17 by a swivel connection 18. The lower transfer member 17 is connected by chains 19 with the lower frame member 2.

The frame structure just described is inclosed by :1 preferably flexible casing or coverin 20, which is provided with a flap 21, which may be opened and closed for access to and from the container. Suitable fastening devices 22 serve to maintain the flap closed, and at 23, I have shown mail bag contents. The cover 20 may be sewed or otherwise secured to the web strips 4, and the upper and lower disks 7 and 17 serve to hold end portions of the cover from falling downwardly into the hoops, the chains 6 and 19 also supporting the tops and bottoms of the cover from collapsing inwardly.

I may provide a bottom which might be secured in any desirable manner in the lower hoop 2, but in the absence of such bottom, the chains 19 and disk 17 perform this function, it being understood that the cover 20 will be made of very heavy strong material.

It will now be seen that while the structure includes substantially rigid upper and lower frame members 1 and 2, still, the container is almost entirely flexible both as regards indentation of its side or movement of the frame members toward each other, thereby causing the bag to act practically in the same manner as the bag which is en tirely flexible in that it can yield in almost every direction to shocks and strains. Furthermore, the supporting lines or chains 3 relieve the cover of the weight of the load, thereby rendering the container much stronger than if it were made wholly of fabric material.

It is believed that the advantages and utility of the invention will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and

while I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. In a mail bag container, upper and lower substantially rigid frame .members, flexible inextensible lines connecting said frame members to support the lower from the upper, fabric web strips having their ends looped over and fixed to said frame members, a hanger member, flexible inextensible supporting lines connecting said hanger member with said upper frame member, a supporting bolt slidable and rotatable in said hanger member to form a swivel connection and having a spring abutment, a supporting spring interposed between said abutment and said hanger member, an upper supporting transfer line connected with said bolt, a lower transfer member, flexible inextensible lines connecting said lower transfer member with said lower frame member, a transfer line depending from said lower transfer member, and a flexible covering inclosing said parts and secured to said web Copies of this patent'may be obtained for strips and provided with an openable flap, substantially as descrlbed.

2. in a mail bag container, a frame structure comprising upper and lower frame members, liexible'lines connecting said frame members To support the lower from the upper, fabric web strips secured to said frame members, an upper transfer line having a swivel spring connection with said frame structure, a lower transfer line depending from said frame structure, and a flexible cover inclosing said frame structure and being secured to said web strips, substantially as described. 7

3. In a mail bag container, a flexible frame structure comprising upper and lowerframe members, flexible inextensible means connecting said frame members, fabric strips connected with said frame members, and a lexible covering inclosing said structure and being secured to said strips, substantially as described.

4:. In a mail bag container, a flexible inextensible skeleton frame structure including fabric portions, a cover of flexible material inclosing said structure and secured to said fabric portions, and upper and lower trans fer mechanism extending from the ends of said structure and supporting the cover against collapse inwardly, substantially as described.

in a mailbag container, a flexible metallic skeleton frame structure including fabric portions, a cover inclosing said structure and formed of flexible material and be ing secured to said fabricportions, transfer devices extending from said frame structure,

and a yielding swivel device for connecting lower transfer device forming a bottom'for I said structure, an upper transfer device, and a swivel spring means for connecting said upper transfer device with said frame structure to yieldingly support the latter, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOSEPH P. SANDER.

Witnesses: i

F. N. DAVIES, FRANK W. HIGGINS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner. of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

